


In this house, we...

by CruxisLyrica



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: #7/8 and #10/11 are the angst chapters, Did I Mention Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, I'm seeing myself out, M/M, brief appearance of nameless OC in #12, drabbles and short stories, more like fluff-angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-11-04 21:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 8,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17906159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CruxisLyrica/pseuds/CruxisLyrica
Summary: Former Oneshot turned into a collection of drabble-ish stories. You've come to the right place if you're in dire need of some KiriEmu fluff (andangstfluff-angst, because I lied)





	1. admit defeat

**Author's Note:**

> My very first work on AO3 and this fandom?! Σ(゜ロ゜;)
> 
> Many many thanks to @atowaito, who is basically responsible for ALL OF THIS (thank you, you have done well).

Kiriya sighed in defeat. Getting his plans crushed again and again sure took its toll on the coroner. 

The time when he made a reservation in one of these fancy restaurants? Emergencies didn’t care about such details, much less when they happen right in front of the pair. Things turned hectic on side of the accident as well as back at the hospital. They never set foot in said restaurant this evening.

Or that one time when Kiriya went out of his way and decided on a late afternoon lunch/picknick despite their packed schedule? Yeah, Mother Nature was not on his side and rain continued to fall until the day after tomorrow. Needless to say, neither of them was in the mood for any outdoor activities in the rain.

With everything said and done, Kiriya threw all future date plans out of the window and decided on a cozy evening at home; just him, Emu and a bottle of whatever their little home has to offer. And honestly speaking, things went better than he could have hoped for.

What began as little pecks here and there soon turned into a steamy make-out session. Whatever pent up frustration Kiriya felt the past few days was forgotten. For now, all he could think of were Emu’s lips and the cute, little moans, which escaped them every once in a while. 

“E…mu…” His raspy voice was barely able to call out for his lover. His body was burning up with growing desire for the other man and soon Kiriya wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.

The wakeup call followed sooner than expected, though. 

Emu’s body slumped in Kiriya’s arms, the regular up and down of the younger man’s chest was the sole indicator of movement. The older man’s brain needed a few seconds to process what just had happened.

“You can’t be serious.”

Kiriya let out another sigh, however, the smile on his lips betrayed whatever annoyance he wanted to feign. He wrapped his arm around Emu and nudged his lover a little bit closer. Their shared body heat was their only source of warmth and Kiriya was keenly aware he was going to need a blanket sooner or later, but for now, this wasn’t so bad after all.


	2. enjoy life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys once again for the comments, they made me really, really happy! ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ

Life was a lot more enjoyable if one faced it with a positive attitude. 

Being erased by a madman with a god complex? Hey, it could have been worse. Not _much worse_ but at least _worse_. And on the bright side: he _had_ been brought back to life! Never mind the Bugster thing. In fact, being turned into a Bugster wasn’t _all that bad_. Think about it, the teleportation skill was neat as heck.

… _If_ one was able to control it, that is.

 

“Hey everyo-woOOAH-“

“Kiriya-san, watch out!”

Kiriya’s aim was slightly off and his feet were touching nothingness instead of solid ground. Left completely off-balance, gravitation did its thing and pulled the coroner headfirst right into Emu’s arms. The intern wrapped his arms around Kiriya reflexively, however, the force of the impact was too strong and pushed both men to the ground. 

“Ugh.” Emu groaned in pain. The fall combined with Kiriya’s weight had knocked the wind out of the younger man and he had a hard time voicing his discomfort. 

“Hahaha! Nice catch, Emu!” Kiriya never failed to be his cheerful self and couldn’t have been bothered by the incident at all. Still laughing, he sat up and offered Emu a hand. 

“Seriously now, Kiriya-san…” Emu couldn’t believe the other man and was shaking his head. His feign annoyance was soon to be betrayed by an amusing smile, though and Emu was firmly holding onto Kiriya’s hand.

 

Moments like these were the reason why life wasn’t so bad after all, Bugster or not.


	3. never have a dull moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal headcanon that Emu is a late riser (and a sound sleeper) whereas Kiriya is an early bird.
> 
> tbh I actually feared OOC-ness in this one, but was soon told otherwise. Still, too much fluff? I'm seeing myself out /o/

Kiriya had learnt quite a handful about Emu since the two of them lived together, including that Emu was anything but an early riser and would sleep in as long as circumstances allowed him to. Surprisingly, Kiriya learnt about himself as well, that he didn’t mind at all.

It was still early in the morning and the first rays of sunshine found its way into their bedroom. Kiriya was already wide awake, eyes lingering on his lover while he reflected on their previous night. The coroner would never admit it to anyone, but watching Emu in his sleep turned into one of his favourite past time activities. He felt oddly at peace and was able to forget all the shit that had happened to them up until now. 

Yeah, he was definitely never going to say this out loud.

Times might be less hectic than they were a few months ago, but things were still far from peaceful and the shrill ringing of the emergency call was a cruel reminder of this reality. 

“Hngg…”

Curious, Kiriya observed Emu and mused if the noise of the incoming call was enough to wake the sleepyhead up or not. It had happened more than once that the former intern would sleep through the noise, which – Kiriya had to admit – was in itself a talent of its own. 

“…what is it?” Guess this time Emu actually managed to wake up.

“Emergency call. Time for you to wake up. You’re needed, Ace.”

Emu mumbled some words Kiriya didn’t catch but nonetheless managed to get up without further delay, although at a slow pace. One can say whatever they wanted about the clumsy scatterbrain, but at the end of the day, his responsibility as a doctor motivated Emu to push his limits even further. Just one of the many things Kiriya admired about his partner.

Emu’s mind was still groggy, but he tried his best and searched for his clothes, which were scattered all across the floor. While he was able to find his pants rather quickly, his t-shirt and white coat were nowhere to be seen and instead Kiriya’s flower-patterned shirt ended up in Emu’s hands. The young doctor groaned in annoyance. Kiriya mused if he should feign to be offended, but decided to let it go this time. He had another ace up his sleeve anyway: “Hey, Emu.”

“Huh?”

“You better cover these up while you’re at it.” Kiriya pointed at his neck, signalling the little marks left behind from their night together. The coroner could practically see the wheels turning in Emu’s head while he processed the information giving to him. When the realisation hit the younger man, his face turned an unnatural shade of red and he tried to hide the countless marks with is hand. 

“Kiriya-san!!”

Kiriya felt anything but remorse and his laughter filled the bedroom. Oh, how could he ever grow tired of Emu’s honest and pure reactions? However, he seemed to forget that two could play this game and Emu was not someone who would admit defeat that easily.

“You too, Kiriya-san.”

“Huh?” Stunned Kiriya looked up and was greeted by a soft but provocative grin. Emu mimicked his lover and he too pointed out the quite visible love marks on the older man’s neck. 

“Maybe you should cover them up, too. _While you’re at it_ , that is.”

Kiriya had lost his chance to respond as Emu’s attention was drawn to the hallway where Emu finally found his missing clothes. A chuckle escaped Kiriya and he shook his head in amusement. Ah, you really had to give it to him: there was never a dull moment with Emu around.

### Omake

“C’mon Emu, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Thank you, Kiri---!!” Flustered, Emu stopped midsentence. Kiriya was wearing his usual getup: comfortable but partly ripped jeans, a brand new shirt with yet another ridiculous flower pattern and – of course – his leather jacket, which rested on Kiriya’s shoulders. All in all nothing out of the ordinary, wouldn’t it have been for those little, garish red love marks covering the man’s neck.

“Kiriya-san, I told you to cover them up!?” 

“Who cares, it’s not like they don’t know what we’re up to in private.”

“B-but---!” 

Yep, never a dull moment indeed.


	4. apologize in advance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Emu woke up to a deluxe breakfast served next to their bed, he knew something was up.

When Emu woke up to a deluxe breakfast served next to their bed, he knew something was up.

“Kiriya-san….”

“Hm~?” He was cheerful, way _too_ cheerful. _Fake cheerful_ even. And yes, by now Emu felt confident enough to say that he could see right through Kiriya’s lies. Well, most of them.

“What did you do this time?” Last time the younger man received such a treatment happened when Kiriya accidentally destroyed a bunch of Emu’s favorite t-shirts. In the end, Emu wasn’t even that mad at the coroner, mostly because a panicked Kiriya had to be one of the most hilarious things Emu had seen in his life.

“Emu! You doubt me?! I’m hurt, y’know!”

Emu signed. It was too early in the morning for one of Kiriya’s antics. “Okay, let me rephrase the question: What are you going to do this time?”

“Nothing! Can’t I surprise my boyfriend with a little special service every now and then?”

Yeah, as if he was ever going to get a straight answer out of the coroner. Emu really should have known better. 

“Just promise me one thing.” 

Whatever Kiriya was up to, Emu wasn’t able to stop him. However, it didn’t mean that the younger man wasn’t going to worry about his idiot boyfriend. 

“Don’t do anything reckless, okay?”

The true unspoken words _please don’t die_ hung in the air. Seconds went by in silence. Kiriya blinked a few times and a dry chuckle escaped his lips. “Heh, what are you talking about, _Ace_? Nothing’s gonna happen!”

Emu could only hope his lover was telling the truth this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I honestly wanna see a panic-y Kiriya now, haha.  
> As I've been told "It's not easy having Kiriya as a boyfriend, is it?" Yep.


	5. occasionally ask for a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentioning of a character introduced in the Trilogy /o/  
>   
> I vaguely remember writing this drabble after I watched the Trilogy as well as after my friend fed me with information about Mighty Novel X ( ~~hello I needed cute content after the Trilogy. I love it but it also kills me every single time~~ )
> 
> I want to thank Ziril and MPY for their comments on the last chapter. To be honest I came up with a continuation of #4 after reading them owo It will take some time before I upload it, because I want to stick to my plan and upload everything in finishing order.

“I heard you went on a date with Yaotome-sensei?”

Kiriya stopped in his tracks. This was certainly _not_ the greeting he had expected upon arriving at home. 

“Errr…” Okay, how should he tackle this problem? Sure, she still fluttered her eyes at him whenever she had the chance, but he ignored all of her advances for very obvious reasons.

“Relax.” Emu couldn’t keep his poker face anymore and a few giggles escaped him here and there. “Poppy saw you two today. I’ve explained everything to her, though.”

“Heh.” The coroner hid a sigh of relief behind the chuckle. “You almost had me there.”

“Right? I mean _Kujou Kiriya_? On a _date_? Oh please.”

Okay, now he was just teasing him. Seriously, that Emu.

“You make it sound as if we never go on dates.”

“…” Emu locked eyes with Kiriya, both silently judging his boyfriend as well as asking the meaningful question of _and when was the last time we went on a date, mister?_

“Alright, alright. I got it, _Ace_.” Kiriya raised his hands in defeat. “How about next Tuesday?”

“Perfect.”


	6. are grateful for each passing day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone order an extra large portion fluff? In any case: _you're welcome_ ovo

Emu was an okay-ish cook; not clumsy enough to cut himself as soon as he handled a knife, but still far from a self-taught master chef. Nevertheless, he was able to cook day-to-day meals; plain seasoning, average taste, no use of any decorations aka just the right amount of skill (and effort) for a person who had lived by oneself. 

Now imagine the look on the coroner’s face once he entered their living room, the dining table covered in dishes which rivaled a five-course meal and could easily fill a whole family, kids included. In all honesty, Kiriya was left dumbstruck; his lips forming a shy smile, which he quickly tried to cover up with his hand. The older man could tell at a glance that every single meal in front of him was homemade. Uneven shapes, a few burnt places here and there and a clumsy set-up. But the coroner would bet his second chance at life that all this food in front of him tasted more delicious than anything he had ever eaten so far (and probably will ever eat).

“Is it now my turn to ask _What did you do this time?_ ” Kiriya joked (partly to hide his embarrassment), remembering the fancy breakfast he had once prepared after a certain incident which included Emu’s favorite and now forever lost t-shirts.

“One more word and you can kiss this-“, Emu pointed at the table “-goodbye.” 

Someone was obviously not in the mood for jokes. Understandably so, given the time and effort that must have gone into this feast. 

“Oww, don’t be like that, Emu! You really went out of your way, didn’t you?”

“Well, it’s Christmas soon, so…” The timer in the kitchen couldn’t have gone off at a better timing; indicating whatever was in the oven (probably dessert?) was finished. 

_Figures, huh._

This season was still a touchy subject, more so for Emu than the affected person himself. They always say it’s harder on those left behind, didn’t they?

“Oh, and Kiriya-san?” Halfway to the kitchen, Emu turned around, the timer for the oven was still beeping in the background.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for being alive.”


	7. feel helpless at times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the irony that my physical copy of _Mighty Novel X_ arrives on the day I upload this chapter. I actually really, _really_ want to write something for the Novel but I'm still lacking knowledge (and frankly speaking I'm also missing the guts to do so orz)
> 
> Anyhow... fluff-angst? Fluff-angst, yeah.

“Ugh… can’t… breathe…” 

Being awakened by overwhelming love sure sounded more romantic than it actually was, and if anyone would have known then Kiriya. Crushed by the full weight of Emu’s ~~love~~ weight and two arms tightly wrapped around the older man’s neck, Emu clutched onto him as if his life depended on it. And maybe it did in whatever twisted dream Kiriya’s other half had found himself in.

“Attacking me in my sleep, really now…” 

It was by far not the first time this had happened, however ¬the frequency of these occurrences had increased since the _Mighty Novel X_ incident. 

The first time around Kiriya made the mistake of waking Emu up. The coroner learned the hard way just how deep the cause was rooted in Emu’s subconscious when he was faced with a crying Emu, unable to stop his tears and desperately voicing apology after apology because he had _no freaking idea why he was crying in the first place_. 

Kiriya never _ever_ wanted to see his lover in this condition again.

The following times he didn’t bother to wake Emu up, instead, he embraced the younger man, fondly whispering words of reassurance or randomly talking about whatever nonsense he could think of until fatigue got the better of him and sleep took over.

One morning after, Kiriya casually asked Emu if he had slept well. The young doctor just nodded, nothing had been out of the ordinary, and their usual morning practice went on _just like_ that, completely baffling Kiriya. Maybe the coroner has been in the wrong movie, maybe he was the one suffering from nightmares. 

Yeah right, _as if_. 

Irritation and frustration built up in him; his anger was directed at himself though, cursing his own helplessness. 

Kiriya placed a kiss on Emu’s forehead, embracing him as if to shield him from whatever danger his lover was facing right now in his sleep. 

_Because that was all he could do for now._


	8. offer a shoulder to cry on

Doctors were no miracle workers; none of them could function 24/7 a week, no matter how much they wished to. A fact the coroner had been painfully reminded of. The papers in front of him combined with an incoming headache and a concerning lack of coffee (seriously, why were they out of creamer again?) made the point all too clear.

Partly blaming his exhaustion and partly his own carelessness, Kiriya hadn’t noticed a certain pediatrician entering the room. Two arms tightly embraced Kiriya from behind, so much that the sheer force almost took him by surprise, and a head rested on the coroner’s left shoulder. It was faint, but Kiriya could clearly hear how hard his partner tried to suppress a cry.

What could have possibly shaken up his lover so much? Kiriya racked his brain and suddenly remembered the young girl, just about seven years old, who had been admitted for a few months already. She had been the cute little sunshine of the pediatric ward, beloved by nurses and doctors alike, Emu of course included. Really, no one would have thought twice about what cruel destiny was hiding behind that child’s smile. 

A very cruel fate indeed.

_So that’s what happened, huh?_

Doctors, as much as they were idolized, were still human beings and at the end of the day not every single life could be saved. 

Hiiro knew it.

Taiga knew it.

Kiriya knew it.

But above all, _Emu knew it_. 

More than anyone else Emu was aware of this sad yet cruel truth, however knowledge alone didn’t ease the pain.

“Nah, Emu.”

Emu flinched; caught by surprise and brought back to reality he loosened his grip around Kiriya ever so lightly. “I’m sorry, I---“

“Was she smiling?” 

“Huh?”

“Was she smiling in the end?” 

Words were caught in Emu’s throat, drowned by what was about to become another sob as tears forced its way to the surface.

“Uhn.” He nodded, fighting a losing battle against the never-ending stream of tears. 

“Then you did great, Emu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needs a Kiriya, period. ~~even if he is high-maintenance~~


	9. change of attire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written on 18th March, I re-wrote the first paragraphs and changed a few things right before uploading it today on 23rd April because it felt... lacking? orz  
>  ~~Well, now it certainly lacks a beta reader~~  
>  ~~I shouldn't be doing this at 2 am in the morning~~

The clock on the wall distinctly caught Kiriya’s attention as he grabbed for his pants, which have been carelessly thrown on the floor not too long ago. What started as innocent as flirting during one of their breaks soon took a drastic turn. Luckily for both of them, the hospital offered a ridiculous amount of unused storage rooms, all in case of emergencies of course. 

“Nah, shouldn’t you hurry to the meeting?” Kiriya asked nonchalantly as if he couldn’t be bothered to be part of the reason why his partner was late in the first place. The realization hit Emu and he frantically looked for whatever he assumed were his clothes, silently cursing to himself while doing so. The fact that soon footsteps echoed from down the hall didn’t help the matter in the slightest. In one last attempt to gloss things over Emu throw his white coat around his shoulders and rushed out of the door, practically running into Hiiro’s arms. 

“Ehm, Hiiro-san, I—”

“No, thank you.” The surgeon had seen more than enough in a short space of time to not only put one and one together but also judge the man in front of him. And Emu was judged all right; a cold shudder went down the pediatrician’s spine and without another word to spare Hiiro turned around, leaving behind an utterly confused Emu.

“Nah, Emu.” Kiriya stepped out of the room, a wide smirk on his face, which Emu could particularly hear. “You could have just told me you like them so much. I’ll take you shopping anytime, y’know?”

 _What in the world are you talking about_ , Emu wanted to ask, however, words never left his mouth. There he was, his boyfriend, standing right beside him and wearing an all too familiar, deep blue t-shirt featuring Pac-Man and the various ghosts of said game.

“Kir—Why—You—why haven’t you told me—?!?”

Emu’s face turned an unnatural shade of red, very much to Kiriya’s amusement. 

“You’re wearing it damn well, I’m almost jealous Emu!” Laughing, the coroner patted his lover’s shoulder a few times, mischievousness written all over his face. In his mind, Emu swore to whatever higher power in existence that he would at one point punch that smirk out of Kiriya’s face (again).

“Hey, my shirt!?” Emu shouted after his boyfriend, who already made his way to the elevator. 

“See you later in the evening, Emu!” 

And that was the day Emu was forced to wear Kiriya’s _very_ colorful and _very_ flowery-themed shirt to work, which also included a meeting with the director of all things.

Emu was not thrilled at all.


	10. keep our promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...more or less, that is /o/
> 
> This piece is the continuation to #4 I mentioned a while back. Once again thank you Ziril and MPY for the inspiring comments!

Rushed footsteps echoed through the halls of Seito University Hospital, each step felt heavier than the next.

_Hurry._

_He had to hurry up._

Unsettling news had reached the young doctor’s ears. He dropped everything on the spot and left his colleagues behind who were just about to get ready for the afternoon checkup. Troubles were unmistakably waiting for him once he returned to the station, but that was something to worry about for another time. In that instance, one sentence repeated itself over and over in Emu’s mind.

_Kujou Kiriya had been admitted._

(In hindsight, Emu wondered, if that was how Kiriya had felt after Emu had suffered injury from the Parado look-a-like. The thought alone felt like he had taken a punch in his guts.)

Emu entered the patient’s room in haste, neither cared to knock nor to announce himself in any way. A nurse was still with Kiriya, doing some final checks on the IV-infusion. 

“Kiriya-san…”

A breathing mask was covering part Kiriya’s face and whatever remained free was covered in beads of perspiration. There was no mistake he was running a high fever. Nevertheless, Emu was convinced that had he been conscious, Kiriya would have most certainly greeted him with a smile on his face, casually asking _S’up?_ and laughing the incident off without a single care in the world. 

The words “his life is not in immediate danger” were barely registered in Emu’s mind. Only later would he find out more details about what actually happened; an anonymous caller had phoned the ambulance and Kiriya had been found unconscious near an abandoned warehouse in a rather questionable industrial area. Whatever he had been doing at this place no one knew, but it was a fact that he had lost an alarming amount of blood. Any time later and---

_No._

Emu was not going to finish the thought.

The nurse had excused herself at some point, partly to give Emu some space and partly because other patients were waiting. All strength had left Emu and he collapsed into the chair, relief written all over his face. 

It was alright.

Kiriya was still here.

_Kiriya was still alive._

“Liar… even after I told you not to do anything reckless.” Emu muttered. The unspoken promise, however, had not been broken and Emu thanked whatever god he could think of for this miracle. Even after all this time, his boyfriend likes to keep secrets here and there, but he trusted Kiriya enough to not get himself into too much trouble, much less getting himself killed _again_. Maybe that lesson didn’t quite stick to him just yet. 

“You’re in a lot of trouble later, you know that, Mister?” 

Emu could have sworn he saw a playful grin on Kiriya’s lips for a second.


	11. royally screw up

The moment Kujou Kiriya woke up in a hospital room attached to an IV-infusion and cardiac monitor, he knew he had completely and royally fucked up. And in hindsight, the recovery of his injuries had been a piece of cake compared to the aftermath he had to deal with a certain someone.

On the first day, Kiriya accepted his fate. Emu had every right to be mad at him, hands down, and the silent treatment was more than an acceptable punishment. Heck, Kiriya could count himself lucky if that was all he had to take.

On the second day, Kiriya tried to (slowly) smooth things between them with every single method he could think of to break the ice, but the walls Emu had built around himself were sturdier than he anticipated. 

On the third day, Kiriya was taken by surprise when Emu suddenly confronted him out of nowhere: “Do you understand why I’m mad, Kiriya-san?”

Of course, Kiriya understood. At least he _thought_ he understood. However, he was perfectly aware just how much he had hurt Emu with his reckless behavior, not only in the light of recent events but over the past couple of years. Despite all of this, Kiriya was not able to deliver an answer. He knew what he wanted to say, _had to say_ , but the words were stuck in his throat. If he could, Kiriya would have laughed bitterly at himself. The truth was hard to admit, yes, but saying it out loud was even harder.

Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes. The silence aggravated Emu, more so than any of Kiriya’s stupid “laughing-it-off” responses could possibly have. 

That was it.

That was the final straw.

Emu grabbed Kiriya by the collar and shoved him against the wall. In any other given situation, Kiriya would have gladly welcomed such aggressive behavior from his boyfriend, but right now he was utterly and wholly floored. 

“I’ve _had_ it with you.”

“Em—”

“Marry me, _Kiriya_.”

…

Oh.

Yes.

Why, of course.

Wait. _**What**_.

Kiriya’s brain cells gave up their remaining will to function properly. His mind, frozen in fear, was still focused on the _I’ve had it_ part. Honestly, his inner demon had already prepared him for the worst. Not exactly _prepared_ prepared, but at least he wouldn’t have been taken by surprise if the big and dramatic breakup had happened right here and now. Never in a million years however had he reckoned to hear these words.

“…o…kay.” 

Talk about lame, but Kiriya’s brain was still in complete shutdown mode. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t tell how much time had passed until he was actually able to process the situation he had found himself in. At some point or another Emu had loosened his grip on him, arms were instead wrapped around the coroner in a tight embrace. Emu might have tried to hide it, but Kiriya noticed the ever so slight trembling of his lover. 

_Despite everything you still accept me for who I am?_

“Thank you, Emu.”

He had been wrong the whole time. Not entirely wrong per se, but wrong enough for Emu to finally blow up and to be forced to take drastic action in his own hands. Kiriya really had a special talent to push the buttons just right enough to get Emu royally mad at him, hadn’t he? 

_Equals, huh?_ Had it always been as easy as that?

“I’m really an idiot, aren’t I?”

“You finally noticed? Shesh, took you long enough Kiriya.”

“Oh shut it.” The older one mumbled, secretly relieved Emu wasn’t able to see his embarrassed expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~And they had incredible make-up sex later /o/~~ comment I left in the original file and laugh every time haha
> 
> And to think all of this started with the innocent question of _how would they propose to each other_. Well, one 10+ hour shift at work turned it into... this. Also, I couldn't get my friend's comment _The wrath of Emu_ out of my head haha (srsly nothing's scarier than an angry Emu?) 
> 
> Anyway, this was the last of its kind. Back to fluff next week!


	12. exchange sweet nothings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a very much "back to the basics" fluff piece aka what I actually wanted to write in the first place before I took a few wrong turns  
> > looks at the previous chapters
> 
> also small warning just to be on the safe side: a (nameless) OC appears in this one, but very _very_ briefly

The CR had always been a little different than the other stations at the hospital. It might have been the DoReMiFa Beat Arcade corner or personalities like Poppy who brightened up this place. Today however the station had been extra lively. 

Nico had returned from America for a short visit and brought (beside Taiga obviously) a friend from the states with her. As a matter of fact said friend was born in the states, raised in Japan and was now studying across the ocean again. It was bit complicated and Emu had obviously received a much-summarized version of her circumstances, but at least there was no communication barrier between them.

Nico’s friend was an outspoken and openhearted person and immediately hit it off with Poppy. Both of them were talking excitingly with each other about this and that and at some point, Poppy invited her for a round of the new demo version of DoReMiFa Beat VR and wow, the new girl was good. Really, _really_ good. Emu was honestly impressed and watched their gaming session with genuine interest. The girls were gradually raising the difficulty and their new friend didn’t have any problems keeping up with the fast and upbeat rhythm of the songs. At some point Poppy – clearly exhausted and out of breath – had to take a break while the other one was still going on for a few more tracks. Her stamina and reflexes were amazing and Emu wondered who would emerge victorious if she ever decided to play against Nico seriously.

“Hmmm~? What is this, should I be jealous?” Two hands padded Emu on the shoulder from behind, a gesture the pediatrician had not only grown accustomed to but also fond of.

“How serious are you? Because depending on your answer I might punch you.” 

Emu leaned back in the chair, resting his head on Kiriya’s chest. Both doctors kept their eyes on the girls; Nico was now joining the party for another round (her efforts to make Taiga join in as well were in vain, but at least he watched them play without complaining _too much_ ). 

“Well, guess I’ll forgive you this time.” Kiriya sighed dramatically and put his arms around Emu, obviously holding back laughter.

“Someone’s generous today, huh.” 

Chuckling, the lovers exchanged a quick kiss, unnoticed by the eyes of the other people in the room.


	13. enjoy a lazy Sunday morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idiots being idiots and doing cute stuff

Sometimes life could be kind and granted the two busybodies a slow and lazy Sunday morning. Sleeping in without a care in the world, eating breakfast when it was actually time for lunch and sharing a cup of coffee while reminiscing old times. 

In retrospect Kiriya really should have known better than to let the topic slide in this direction.

Also, he _really_ should have kept that big mouth of his shut, because pointing out how naïve and gullible Emu had been was a landmine the coroner stepped on all by himself. 

“Oh, you mean—” Emu coughed dramatically and looked directly at Kiriya; he wasn’t even trying to hide his mischievous smile and did his best impersonation he could muster of his boyfriend: “Like it was _my fault that I got tricked_?”

“Urgh, you still remember that?!” Who would have guessed Emu was one to hold a grudge, much less remember such fine and completely irrelevant details from the past. You really couldn’t judge a book by its cover nor trust a cute and innocent face when you saw one. 

“ _Absolutely no more lies from me today_ , huh?”

“Emu---!” Kiriya grabbed the nearest pillow and playfully smacked his boyfriend on the head. Someone clearly was enjoying himself a tad bit too much on the coroner’s account.

“I really should have punched you harder when I had the chance, huh?” Emu continued between giggles. Okay now someone was just testing his limits.

“You’re even bringing this up?” 

“Excuse me? I should be glad I still have all of my teeth after that kick of yours.” 

“Okay _that’s it_.” Before Emu even had the slightest chance to react Kiriya pushed him down on the sofa and positioned himself on top of him. Using the weight of his own body he made sure Emu could no longer escape. 

“Kiriya-san?” Emu knew exactly what was coming and didn’t like it at all. 

“You’ve been asking for it, Emu.” Smiling as if he was the devil himself Kiriya’s hands traveled across his partner’s body until they reached their destination and engaging their merciless assault on Emu’s sides. He was especially ticklish near the belly and Kiriya took full advantage of his knowledge. 

“Okay, stop! _Stop it, please_!!”

“What’s the magic word?” Kiriya teased while he put his attack on hold, fingers ready to continue at any time. 

“Dinner’s on me?” Emu pleaded in vain as Kiriya’s hands began to reach for his ticklish parts once more. “Plus dessert! I’ll include dessert! Kiriya-san, _please_!!” 

“Deal.”

He’d be a fool to turn down Emu’s home cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes, the time I rewatched the first episodes up to the beginning of ep12 and gave a certain someone my full attention
> 
> also head canon that – even when they live together – they rarely spend time in the kitchen and rather eat take out, buy meals from the convenience store or simple dine out.
> 
> also also Emu has every right to complain about that kick ó_ó


	14. re: offer a shoulder to cry on

“Hey Poppy, have you seen Kiriya-san around?” Emu was holding a stack of papers in his hands; he had been sent on an errand by the said person he couldn’t find a single trace of right now.

“Kiriya? I’m pretty sure he left about an hour ago.”

Huh, so shortly after he had asked Emu for this small favor, which resulted in a little scavenger hunt and if he’d been completely honest, it had taken much longer than it should have. Figures, if this was a set-up by the one and only Kujou Kiriya. 

_Seriously, where could he have gone?_

Emu should have extended the _no lies_ policy to _no secrets_ as well. He took a mental note for later. As the saying goes: better late than never.

The wall planner caught the pediatrician’s attention; only a couple of weeks were left until yet another anniversary of Zero Day occurred.

_Zero Day, huh...?_

Something struck Emu as odd. If he recalled correctly a similar incident had happened almost one year ago. No, it definitely happened. Everyone in CR had grilled him where the coroner had vanished to and why he couldn’t keep his boyfriend on a tighter leash.

_As if I could forget something as embarrassing as that._

“Emu?” Poppy asked, confused about the ongoing silence.

“I’ll wait for him. He has to come back at some point.” Emu decided since he knew for a fact that the coroner had to cover a double shift today and Emu wouldn’t be able to see him before tomorrow afternoon otherwise. 

_If it’s really related to Zero Day, then he must be at the cemetery._

They had talked about the incident only briefly in the past. Honestly, life had kept them busier than they wished for and the topic was never brought up again. Mostly because a certain someone was also pretty skilled at keeping things to himself, though.

_Guess I’ll be the one doing the ‘grilling’ this time. But before that---_

“Oh, Emu? You’re still here?”

“Kiriya-san?” Emu was caught by surprise; he didn’t hear a single sound nor footstep coming. 

“Haha, missed me that much already?” Kiriya joked. The stunned look on Emu’s face actually reminded him of a lone puppy waiting for its owner.

It took Emu every ounce of self-restraint not to pout and counter with _shut up, idiot_. There was something else he had to say first, something very important: “Welcome back, Kiriya-san.” Emu closed the distance between them, fondly embracing his lover. “You did great.”

“Hey, what’s gotten into you now?” Kiriya tried his usual spiel, laughing things off to avoid the bullet, but Emu was having none of that today.

“Next time please talk to me. You don’t have to walk alone anymore, remember?” 

“Always the little sap, aren’t you?” It was vague, but Emu could hear faint shaking in his lover’s voice.

“I’m serious, Kiriya-san.” He reassured his boyfriend, silently praying the message finally got across and through that thick skull of his.

“Yeah, I know.” Kiriya sighed, smiling bashfully as he finally returned Emu’s embrace. “Thanks, Emu. I mean it.”

“Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because Kiriya needs a hug too


	15. are (not) always straight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stupid and random ideas are stupid and random

“Ishikawa Saori, 9 years old, fractured leg and---”

Emu had left the canteen behind (it had been – once again – a very late lunchbreak) and was now on the way back to the pediatric ward, carefully studying the file of his next patient. The young girl had been involved in a car accident and suffered bruises, a broken leg and assumingly a concussion of the brain. The final results of her check-up were in and Emu was relieved to be the bearer of good news; no brain concussion was found, the patient was free to go home and come back for a checkup appointment in a couple of weeks.

_Thank goodness._

Emu turned right at the next corner. A soft voice, which grew louder with each step he took, caught his attention. Before he knew it, the voice was fiercely complaining about someone’s lazy and aloof behavior. Out of curiosity (and concern), Emu followed the irritated voice and---

“Kujou-sensei I’m serious! No more games, be straight with me _for once_!”

“I don’t know what you mean, I’m _always_ straight.”

\---almost crashed into the wall next to him. 

_You say what now?_

He covered his mouth with his right hand, trying to muffle his laughter. His other arm was holding out to his sides, desperately trying to calm himself down. Emu never knew both his stomach and back could hurt so much from laughing (or suppressing said laughs) until today. 

Now if this wasn’t the biggest lie he ever heard.

Luckily, whoever left in a foul mood (all thanks to a certain coroner) didn’t pay Emu any attention. The pediatrician straightened up, swallowed the remaining fits of laughter and took a deep breath. The time had come to pay a certain someone a visit.

“Always straight, huh?” Emu teased.

“Emu, you…” Kiriya sighed and almost laughed at his bad luck. “Just for your information; I’m _so_ not going to tip the lie jar for this.”

“Wouldn’t have asked you to anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally not ~~stolen~~ inspired by [this incorrect quote](https://incorrectkamenrider.tumblr.com/post/167265653048/hiiro-im-going-to-need-everyone-to-be-straight)


	16. don't trust player 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might actually be one of my favorites because the dialog right at the beginning actually happened between my friend and I while playing _Heroes of Hammerwatch_ w (the game I very _very_ loosely describe here).

“Nah, Emu?” Kiriya leaned back on the sofa, controller loosely hanging in his hand. “Revive me?”

“…no?”

“Why~?”

“I DON’T TRUST YOU??” 

Convincing Kiriya to join one of Emu’s gaming session had been easier than expected. Truthfully, it took him a while to get the hang of it, but since then (and whenever time permitted) the coroner would join in for a round or two. What began as an ‘every now and then’-thing soon turned into their own ritual. It didn’t matter that they had been playing the same game for months now, too (Kiriya should have suspected Emu to be an achievement hunter). Tedious as it might get over time, they still manage to have the time of their life and nothing else really matters.

Today they started yet another quest to conquer the castle on a new and even higher difficulty than usual. Their characters reached their level gap and it was high time to put their skills to the test (Emu _pleaded_ Kiriya to choose the Paladin as his main character while he, in turn, would pick his Priest. Kiriya never really understood why). 

“But _why_?!”

The victory fanfare chimed and Emu was finally able to remove his eyes off the screen. He had won against the top tier boss while he had to deal with the dead package on his shoulders, and if he was completely honest he felt proud of himself.

“Whoever dies at the final boss stays dead. I’m not soul linking my character with yours just to die ten seconds later because _you play as reckless as you live_!” 

The game offered an option to revive a dead ally once, which was called “Soul Link”. As the name suggested, it links the soul of the reviver with the soul of the revived. If one of these two characters died (again), so will the other, leading to a game over. 

“But—“

“One more word.” Emu interrupted his boyfriend before he could continue his spiel of whining. “And I _will_ ask Parado over to join me next time instead.”

Unsurprisingly, Emu didn’t hear a single word of complaint from Kiriya for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~just for the record: I was not the one dying xD~~


	17. are with stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> stupid indeed as in 'stupid ideas I get when I do window shopping'
> 
> I shouldn't be allowed to upload anymore ó_ó ( ~~also this is almost 3 months old I can't look at it anymore~~

The first thing Emu noticed upon arriving at CR was the unmistaken and pleasant smell of fresh coffee. 

“Emu, perfect timing!” Kiriya turned to the newcomer and handled him one of the mugs he just brewed. Emu accepted eagerly; his body had been crying for a cup of warm, strong and delicious coffee for hours now, and finally – _finally_ – the pediatrician was able to afford a small break. Ah, what blessing. Truly this was heaven on earth. This was---

“Sweet!” Emu’s taste buds were on high alert, screaming in agony. He almost spilling the content back in the cup, but good manners kept him from doing so. “That’s way too sweet, Kiriya-san!”

Kiriya laughed wholeheartedly at Emu’s reaction, neither holding back nor showing any sign of remorse. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught Hiiro’s staring at them, who had watched their little exchange in silence. Neither of them was occupying the coffee machine since they had moved a few steps away, so something else must have been bugging the surgeon. 

“Huh? What’s with the scowl on your face? Don’t tell me there’s something you wanna say?” Kiriya’s smirk grew; this was going in the right direction and he made sure to enjoy every second of it.

“That should be my line, coroner.”

“Hmm~ I have no idea what you’re talking about~” Kiriya didn’t even try to feign innocence; mischievous was written all over his face as he took another sip from his cup, which looked oddly familiar to the one he had just offered to Emu.

“Seriously…” Emu muttered under his breath, completely oblivious of the exchange that had happened behind his back as he drained whatever ominous liquid he unsuspectingly has been given to in the sink. 

_Huh?_

Emu stopped in his tracks and finally noticed the message written across the mug. The cup in itself was nothing special; your typical white china cup which could be found in any random 100 Yen store. However, the red letters spelled a well-known message, indicating that this mug was indeed part of a set. 

_Oh no._

_He didn’t._

_He didn’t dare to, did he?_

Emu abruptly turned around, eyeing the coffee mug in Kiriya’s hand, only barely able to suppress a groan once his suspicion had been confirmed. 

Of course.

Of _freaking_ course he did. 

Subtlety wasn’t Kiriya’s forte and if he could, he would proclaim their relationship to the whole world (proudly so, of course). 

_I really am with stupid, aren’t I?_

Emu smiled in defeat. He was honestly no match for his boyfriend.


	18. exchange sweet nothings #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to another round of teeth rotting fluff ovo
> 
> On a different note, I corrected minor grammar and spelling mistakes in the previous chapters. Nothing too fancy but it kept bugging me.

When Emu woke up, a delicious and sweet fragrance had filled his apartment. He blinked a few times, slowly getting up and rubbed his sleepy eyes. He didn’t want to complain (free homemade food _was_ free homemade food after all), but who and why---

_Oh, of course._

Smiling, Emu got on his feet and hurried to the kitchen.

*

“Morning, Kiriya-san.”

As expected Emu found his partner in the kitchen, preparing their breakfast or lunch or whatever because if Emu was completely honest, he had no idea what time it was. 

“ _Morning_? I recommend checkin’ the clock one more time. Thought you were never going to wake up.” Kiriya flashed him a playful smile and turned his attention back to the cooking pot in front of him, stirring its content and humming the melody of an upbeat pop song Emu knew well enough but still couldn’t recall its name. 

Emu closed the distance between them and carefully wrapped his arms around Kiriya, cautious not to get in the way of his boyfriend’s cooking. “Never saw you in an apron before. You look cute.” The smile on Emu’s face grew. In all honesty, this was a sight he could grow accustomed to.

“…you of all people shouldn’t call me cute.”

“Eh?”

“Nothing.”

“Hm~” Emu hummed and smiled to himself. He heard Kiriya’s words all too well but decided to stay silent. Teasing his boyfriend too much would just come and bite him back later, plus Kiriya’s blushing ears were more than obvious. 

 

_Hehe, cute~_


	19. are someone else's hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone take the novel away from me
> 
> here I was, reading bits and pieces of dialog ( ~~yes I skipped to Kiriya's chapter excuse me~~ ) and... this is what happens. I'm sorry
> 
> so slight spoiler warning for the novel I guess (though imo you can only recognize the spoiler if you already know what's going on so...)

_“But you know, Emu… Your life will not end, so you can’t reset.”_

“Why?”

“In this world… there are heroes who protect you.”

“Heroes?”

_“They are called_ doctors _.”_

*

“Heroes… huh?”

“Eh?” Kiriya stopped in his tracks, not sure if his ears were playing a trick on him or not. His attention shifted to Emu beside him, who had yet to touch his food, and the coroner wondered if and just how much his partner actually remembered from the Mighty Novel X gaming world.

And then it started.

A single tear rolled down Emu’s face, soon to be followed by another one. And another. And-

“Eehhhhh?! Emu what’s wrong, why are you crying??” Poppy began to panic and her shrill voice drew the attention of the others to them. 

“Emu…” Kiriya’s chest tightened. There was so much he wanted to do – hug Emu, dry his tears, _kiss his tears away_ – but time and place only allowed so much. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Emu’s shoulder, a gesture so familiar and natural between them it never felt out of place, and ever so slightly scooted him closer. He exchanged a quick glance with Parado and nodded. 

“Really Emu, crying over food again?” Parado’s lie couldn’t have been more transparent, but it was good enough for Poppy to believe it. Her relief was contagious, or maybe the others just knew when to take a hint, honestly, it could have been both. More importantly, however, was that no one else pressed the subject any further and everyone returned to their food and/or conversation. Kiriya let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding in.

“I’m sorry, guys.” Emu dried the remaining tears and mustered a weak smile. He didn’t wish to worry anyone, but it was easy to tell his emotions were still all over the place.

_“Don’t be.”_

Kiriya hadn’t meant to say these words out loud, but they must have escaped his lips nonetheless. Emu’s puzzled eyes met his and moments of silence passed. It was subtle at first, but Emu’s face lit up considerably. “Hehe, thank you Kiriya-san.”

And there it was, the bright and dazzling smile which had put the coroner under its spell, probably so since the first day he had met Emu as an intern. It was a smile Kiriya had sworn to protect ever since he decided to turn a new leaf; that fateful day when he put all of his faith in Emu, the only person worthy of it.

_No Emu, I should be the one thanking you._

_You, too, are already a hero._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now on a different note
> 
>  
> 
> **thank you guys so much for your support**
> 
>  
> 
> It has been a really long time for me when I last uploaded something on the internet. It was thanks to Kamen Rider that I started this account and found my love for writing again (at least short pieces). So these 1k hits are a pretty huge deal for me and I honestly felt in a party mood the day I saw the counter reach 1k+.
> 
> So once again: thank you!


	20. Secret Santa

“Okay, whose idea was this and more importantly: _whyyyy??_ ”

It was once again the time of the year and the members of the CR held its very own and small Christmas party (Poppy had insisted years ago after the whole Chronicle ordeal was over and it became a tradition since then). Things certainly got livelier with each year and this time was no different. Even Nico, who stayed in Japan over the holidays, decided to tag along and dragged a slightly annoyed Taiga with her. 

Center of attention and the person raising the question was a certain coroner and the (in his eyes) questionable present he received anonymously: a simple single-colored t-shirt with the imprint _Trust me, I’m a liar_ in huge, bold letters on the front.

Nico was the first one to burst out laughing. Taiga snorted and turned his back to everyone else so no one could catch a glimpse of his face. Hiiro mimicked him and turned around too, shoulders visibly shaking. 

“Guys, this is not funny??”

Nico wanted to argue _Yes, yes it is funny. Hilarious even_ but was too busy catching her breath and trying her best not to die of laughter. Poppy attempted to calm her down but found herself joining in instead.

“Jeez, you are the worst, all of you.” Kiriya slumped dramatically on the table, his ego visibly shaken. Unbeknownst to him, Emu had dragged Parado to the sidelines, facing him with a stern expression. “Parado.” 

“What? You found it first. And I clearly remember someone having the same reaction as her.” Parado nonchalantly pointed to Nico. The memory of their last shopping trip was still vividly in his mind, including an overly excitedly Emu proclaiming _this is the best gift ever_ and how he wished to see Kiriya in it. The facts left Emu in no position to defend himself (plus he had to admit Kiriya’s reaction was hilarious). 

Emu sighed. “Just… well, just don’t tell him that it was originally my idea. His pride already took a huge enough blow today.”

“Oh?” Parado chuckled. “You think he’s ever going to wear it?”

“Over his dead body.” Emu groaned; the realization hit him too late. “I did not just say that, did I?”

“He’ll get over it.” Parado patted Emu’s shoulder. “He’s a grown-up man, he can handle that much.”

 _Oh, you have no idea._ Emu kept his thoughts to himself, not daring to destroy the last remaining bit of his boyfriend’s ego.

Well, it was nothing a few cuddles and a cup of his favorite coffee won’t fix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ovo ~~Kiriya stop being so overdramatic lol~~
> 
> still salty because I couldn't find this t-shirt in my size. I really wanted to wear it okay orz


	21. share a deal over sweets

“Urgh…”

“Hey sunshine,” Kiriya called over the kitchen counter. Emu had been resting in the adjacent living room, lying flat on the sofa and eyes covered with his forearm. “What’s wrong?”

“Ate too much popcorn.”

“Popcorn?”

“The caramel flavored one.” 

Kiriya checked the kitchen self and true enough any trace of the sweet snack had vanished. And they had purchased a lot of them since Emu beamed like a child on Christmas and _begged_ Kiriya to literally buy the whole stock because _caramel popcorn is just the best how come you never ate it before_ (Kiriya never did. For him, popcorn had always been a salty snack and he didn’t like the idea of mixing opposite flavors, although that was not how caramel popcorn works, as he later found out).  
In the end, Kiriya managed to haggle the number of packs down to four, very much to Emu’s dismay. It was more than enough and they could always buy more later or so, the older man argued. It hadn’t been two days yet and they very much ran out of popcorn. 

“Just because you _can_ doesn’t mean you _should_ , sweetheart.”

Emu groaned. “You are the last person on earth who has any rights to reprimand me.”

“Hey, I’m already cutting back.”

“One pack.” Emu shot straight up (which actually had been a bad idea, he noticed) and looked Kiriya directly in the eyes, his expression of disapproval clearly speaking for itself. “ _One_ freaking pack of sugar!”

“You know what they say.” Kiriya brought two cups to the living room (he replaced Emu’s coffee with a cup of tea) and sat down next to his boyfriend, grinning. “Baby steps.”

“You’re impossible.” Emu didn’t have the energy nor will to argue any further. He lay down once again and slightly adjusted his position until he was finally comfortable enough and rested his head in his boyfriend’s lap. 

“And yet you’re still madly in love with me.”

“…”

“No rebuttal?” 

“Nah.” Emu closed his eyes. “Lying is your forte, not mine.” 

“Heh.” Kiriya coughed and Emu could feel the movement of his partner’s arm. It didn’t take much to guess someone was trying to hide a flustered smile. 

“I know you’re blushing.” Emu teased, his eyes still far from open.

“Oh shut up.”

“Hmmm~” Emu let out a pleased sigh. In contrast to his words, Kiriya’s touch felt incredibly soft and gentle. He fondly caressed Emu’s hair and sometimes moved one of his unruly bangs out of his face. It was one of these rare, peaceful moments shared in bliss and Emu wouldn’t have had it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~aaaand I'm craving caramel popcorn now~~


	22. take the night train

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did I almost forgot the weekly (and final) upload? ~~ofc not~~

They had greatly underestimated the traffic of night-time travelers. 

_Take the night train_ , they said. _You won’t need a seat reservation anyways_ , they said. Apparently, a few dozen other people shared the same idea and now the night train was jam-packed. 

Emu sighed, clearly annoyed. A trip on a crowded train for a couple of hours was the last thing on his mind.

“Hey, Emu!” Somewhere in the crowd, Kiriya called out for him. Emu squeezed his way through the mass of people and found his boyfriend occupying a single seat unit (he really was a miracle worker) and motioned Emu to sit on his lap.

“Kiriya-san…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“I can— _woooah!_ ” Emu yelped in surprise as Kiriya yanked his arm and he found himself very much in the arms (and on the lap) of his lover. “Really now?” 

“Better get used to it ‘cause I’m not letting you go.”

“Honestly…” Emu sighed for the umpteenth time, but this time around he could feel his spirits being lifted. He leaned in and relaxed his body against Kiriya’s chest who in turn closed his eyes and rested his head on Emu’s shoulder. Their bodies fit perfectly against each other as if two halves of the same piece were put together. 

“Mommy, Mommy! Look!” A small girl, probably around first grade, pointed at the couple. Her mother shushed her, embarrassment written all over her face, and pulled her daughter to her side. Whatever the mother discussed with the little girl did not reach Emu’s ears; his anxiety grew nonetheless.

“Should I—”

“Don’t.” Kiriya tightened his embrace. “I said I’m not lettin’ you go.” 

Emu nodded in response, not sure what else he should say or do, so he simply let the silence pass. Not more than a couple of minutes later a sweet, young voice called out for him: “Hey mister.” 

Emu looked to his side and found the same girl from before. “Is uncle sick?”

Kiriya flinched and Emu almost laughed at the girl’s innocent question. _Almost_. 

“Don’t worry, sweety,” Emu answered in a calm voice. “But why do you think he was sick?”

“Cause whenever I’m feeling bad, I always hug my biiiig fluffy teddy bear like uncle!”

The scowl Emu heard was definitively _not_ his imagination. 

“You see.” Emu started to explain. “Just like in games, you get really tired when your energy bar is almost empty, right? That is why uncle here is recharging his batteries.”

“Then these will help!” The little girl stretched her arms and handed Emu a couple of fruit bonbons. “I get loooots of energy whenever I eat one!”

“Haha, I see.” Emu patted the girl’s hand and gladly accepted her present. She giggled, happy about her good deed and hopped back to her seat next to her mother.

*

“Hey, Kiriya-san.”

“No.”

“But she gave us these.”

“ _Uncle_ doesn’t want them.” Oh someone was sulking. Now if that wasn’t endearing.

“Hey, at least she didn’t call you grandpa. That’s a win.”

“Emu, I really love you, but right now I hate you.”

Emu laughed and popped the candy in his mouth. The sugary taste of strawberry and vanilla would always remind him of this vacation, the little girl and an adorably cute Kiriya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand that's it
> 
> I'm honestly not sure if and when I will write another Oneshot because all of them came to me spontaneously. Got a stomachache after too much sweet popcorn? Peace #21 was born.  
> Eying a single open seat on the bus back to the city? Yep, my imagination led to this chapter ~~(stupid random ideas)~~. 
> 
> So, for now, I call the collection complete.
> 
> Thank you very much for sticking around and reading up until the very end! >w<


End file.
